3 Indian youngsters who could get a chance to prove their ODI credentials against West Indies

Team India have arrived in the West Indies for a three-match ODI series, which will begin on July 22. The Men in Blue will be led by veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan in the ODIs as regular captain Rohit Sharma has been given a break. The latter will take charge of the team for the five-match T20I series, which will start on July 29.

Apart from Rohit, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who played stellar roles in India’s recent ODI series win in England, have also been rested for the ODIs in the Caribbean.

Further, senior cricketers Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have been given a break from the entire tour. In the absence of several big names, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been named vice-captain for the ODI series.

With a number of star players missing from the Indian camp, hosts West Indies will be hopeful of putting up a good showing in the ODIs. At the same time, several young Indian players could get a chance to prove their credentials in the 50-over format.

We profiled three such young guns in this piece.

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#1 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad batting during the T20I series against South Africa. Pic: Getty Images

Promising opener Ruturaj Gaikwad came into the limelight after a stupendous season for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2021. He won the Orange Cap by amassing 635 runs in 16 matches at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 136.26. His performance played a major role in CSK lifting the IPL trophy for the fourth time.

The 25-year-old went on to make his T20I debut for India against Sri Lanka last year. After limited opportunities in subsequent series’, he got a chance to showcase his skills in the five-match T20I rubber against South Africa at home. However, the right-handed batter disappointed, managing just one fifty despite playing all the games.

Gaikwad is yet to make his ODI debut for India, an opportunity that might come his way in the West Indies in Rohit and KL Rahul’s absence. The right-handed batter has an impressive List A record. In 64 matches, he has scored 3284 runs at an average of 54.73 and a strike rate of 100.09.

Gaikwad was the leading run-scorer in the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, smashing 603 runs in five matches at an average of 150.75 and a strike rate of 112.92. He will be keen to make an impact if he gets a chance against the West Indies.

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#2 Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh poses with his cap ahead of his T20I debut. Pic: Getty Images

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh made an impressive T20I debut for India in the first game of the three-match series against England in Southampton. He started off with a brilliant maiden over and ended with figures of two for 18 in 3.3 overs as India registered a 50-run win.

The 23-year-old was drafted into the Indian squad on the basis of consistent performances with the ball for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL. In the last two seasons, Arshdeep has claimed 28 wickets in 26 matches. He has been particularly impressive at the death with his accurate yorkers, not allowing the batters to go after him.

Arshdeep could make his ODI debut against the West Indies in Bumrah’s absence. The left-arm seamer has so far featured in 17 List A games, claiming 21 wickets at an average of 30.95 and a brilliant economy rate of 4.76.

The youngster is relatively inexperienced in the 50-over format, but possesses the basic requisites to make an impact in ODIs as well. Whether he can do it remains to be seen.

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#3 Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill hasn’t played an ODI since December 2020. Pic: Getty Images

Shubman Gill is undoubtedly one of the most talented young Indian batters on the scene right now. While he has displayed glimpses of brilliance, he is yet to find his feet in international cricket.

The 22-year-old made an impressive Test debut in Australia during the 2020-21 tour, the highlight being the 91 at the Gabba in a historic triumph. However, Gill has gone off the boil since. The stylish batter has got a number of starts, but has failed to convert most into substantial scores. He failed in both innings of the rescheduled Test against England in Birmingham.

Speaking of ODI cricket, he hasn’t got a lot of opportunities to prove himself. He has only featured in three matches in the format in which he has scored 49 runs at an average of 16.33. In fact, his last ODI was against Australia in Canberra in December 2020.

With the 50-over World Cup next year, Gill will be keen to stake a claim for a place in the squad. He has proven in the IPL that he has the game to succeed in white-ball cricket. It must also be remembered that he was India’s leading run-getter in the U19 World Cup in 2018 - 372 runs in six games.

Can Gill transform his potential into a solid performance if given a chance in the ODIs against the Windies? Only time will tell.

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